“Intruder” kicks off Peter Gabriel’s third album with “a sense of urgency”. Its lyrics describe the actions, desires and satisfaction of breaking into somebody else’s house while they are awake in bed.
This song was the first of its kind, as it made heavy use of a snare drum sound called “Gated Rev...
[Verse 1]
I know something about
Opening windows and doors
I know how to move quietly
To creep across creaky wooden floors
I know where to find precious things
In all your cupboards and drawers
[Chorus]
Slipping the clippers
Slipping the clippers through the telephone wires
A sense of isolation
Inspires, inspires me
[Interlude]
[Verse 2]
I like to feel the suspense
When I'm certain you know I am there
I like you lying awake
Your bated breath charging the air
I like the touch and the smell
Of all the pretty dresses you wear
[Chorus]
Intruder's happy in the dark
Intruder come
Intruder come and he leave his mark
Leave his mark, leave his mark
[Interlude]
[Outro]
I am the intruder
Intruder was written by Peter Gabriel.
Intruder was produced by Steve Lillywhite.
Peter Gabriel released Intruder on Fri May 23 1980.
Gabriel told The Quietus in 2011:
…the song was written around my basic [drum machine] programmed pattern, it originally had a much fuller arrangement. When Hugh put on the gated reverb, I got incredibly excited by it and I thought that it was going to change the way that drums sounded. I said, ‘Le...